


Turnabout Nikiforov

by sphekso



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crossover, Edgeworth is a dick, I killed Phichit please don't hurt me, Investigations, Lawyers, Legal Drama, M/M, No Angst, Phoenix believes in him, Post-Gyakuten Saiban 2 | Justice For All, Post-YOI, Pre-Gyakuten Saiban 3 | Trials and Tribulations, Yuuri and Viktor are married!, Yuuri is on trial, blood but no violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-13 12:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10513698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sphekso/pseuds/sphekso
Summary: Phichit Chulanont has been murdered. The morning after Yuuri and Viktor's wedding, Yuuri finds himself falsely accused of the crime. With evidence against him piling up on all sides, only two people are able to help Yuuri now: defense attorney Phoenix Wright and his assistant Maya Fey. Whether he's pressing witnesses or fighting battles in court, Phoenix's talents are the last best hope Yuuri has at reuniting with his new husband as a free man. Will Phoenix win the day? Will the real culprit be brought to justice? Find out in "Turnabout Nikiforov!"





	1. First Day - Investigation

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Tiếng Việt available: [Turnabout Nikiforov](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10751532) by [EriGure](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriGure/pseuds/EriGure)



> Hello hello! Welcome to my new series. Just a heads-up: while Phoenix is the POV character and most of the folks in this chapter are from Ace Attorney, this'll have plenty of Yuri on Ice characters coming up. It'll be an equal crossover. That said, enjoy!

**APRIL 10, 4:55 PM**

**WRIGHT AND CO. LAW OFFICES**

 

The work day was winding down to a close. It was five ‘til five, and defense attorney Phoenix Wright hadn’t had a client all day—or even a phone call to answer. He closed his laptop in defeat. “Another day with nothing to do,” he said. “How much longer can we keep this up?”

His assistant—the sprightly, eighteen-year-old Maya Fey—clapped her hands together hard. “Snap out of it, Nick! Work’ll come. Just have a little faith.”

“Faith doesn’t pay the bills.”

Maya shrugged. “We’ve had dry spells before, and it’s always worked out in the end.”

Phoenix leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. “Yeah, we’ve had dry spells, but not like this. This time I threw a client to the sharks. Who wants to hire the rookie attorney who got a big TV star convicted on purpose?”

“Matt Engarde was a monster,” Maya said. “You didn’t have a choice. So cheer up, would ya? I’m starving.”

Phoenix gave a little chuckle. “Our usual burger place, right?”

“Yep!”

As usual, Phoenix admired her optimism, but with no work to be done he couldn’t bring himself to share it. Still, he forced a smile as he rose from his chair. “Burgers it is. Lead the way.”

Maya grabbed her coat and made for the door, but just as she reached it, a loud knock came from the other side. She jumped and shrieked in surprise, then slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Fraidy cat,” Phoenix teased. “Come in!”

The door opened, and Phoenix rounded his desk to greet their visitor. The man in the doorway turned out to be an absolute mess. His silver hair was all out of place, and heavy dark circles ringed his eyes. His features were writ with sorrow. _This,_ Phoenix thought, _is a man with a problem._

“Hi!” Maya said brightly. “Come on in.” She stepped aside so the man could pass.

“Thank you,” he said. He had a strong Russian accent.

“What can we help you with?” Phoenix asked.

The man studied him for a moment before asking, “This is the Wright and Co. Law Office?”

“Sure is,” Maya said.

“You must be Mr. Wright, then. My name is Viktor Nikiforov. I’m looking for an attorney.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place,” Phoenix said. “What do you need me for?”

“There’s been a…” Viktor looked away. “A murder. There’s been a murder.”

Then you really _have_ come to the right place,” Phoenix said. “Assuming you’re not on the run.”

Viktor hung his head low. “I’m not the killer. I don’t know who is. I only know who _isn’t_ , and I need to ask you to represent him.”

“This person is awaiting trial now?”

“He’s in detention. He’s… It’s my husband. I need your help, Mr. Wright. He needs your help.”

Phoenix scratched his chin. “Why did you choose me?”

“I spoke with a Mr. Grossberg today,” Viktor said. “I understand he’s the best in the city, but he said the case was too much of a risk. I asked for a recommendation and he gave me your name. I’m surprised he sent me to someone so young, but he spoke highly of you.”

“Marvin Grossberg?” Phoenix asked, taken aback. “I haven’t heard his name in over a year. I’m surprised he remembers me.” He paused to ponder that.

Maya spoke up while he was thinking. “Hey, Mr. Viktor? What’s your husband’s name?”

“Just Viktor is fine. But his name is Yuuri, and he’s a Nikiforov too, now.”

“Alright,” Phoenix finally said. “Go ahead and tell us what happened.”

Viktor swallowed and gave a slight nod. “Yuuri’s best man disappeared during our wedding reception. He was murdered.”

“When was this?”

“They only found the body this morning, but he was killed last night.”

“And the trial is scheduled for…?”

“The day after tomorrow,” Viktor said. “Your country’s laws are so strange. Everything happens so fast. How is there time to build a case? It’s terrifying.”

“I take it you’re vacationing here for your wedding,” Phoenix said.

“Yes, and we did get to have the wedding, but… the police took him away at breakfast, right when we got to the hotel restaurant.”

“If that’s the case, there must be direct evidence.”

“There is evidence, and the detective said they have a decisive witness. It feels like I’m living through a nightmare.”

Phoenix bit his lip. _Plenty of evidence and an eyewitness_ , he thought. “Mr. Nikiforov, to be frank, that all sounds pretty damning.”

Viktor shook his head rapidly. “I know how bad it seems, but you have to believe me! My husband didn’t do it! He could never…”

He trailed off and fell silent, and Phoenix didn’t offer any words of his own. After a few moments of dead air, Maya piped up. “Nick, I think he’s telling the truth.”

Phoenix waited a while—maddeningly long, in Viktor’s mind—before giving a single, deliberate nod.

Viktor’s eyes glistened under the fluorescent office lights. “You’ll take the case?”

“You said Mr. Grossberg called it too risky?” Phoenix asked. “Hmm. I’m not surprised. He’s not the type to take a case with so much going against it.”

“But you are?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, and I doubt it’d be the last, but I need to pay the other Mr. Nikiforov a visit in detention before I decide. If I believe he’s as innocent as you say he is, then you’ve found yourself an attorney.”

“Thank God,” Viktor said. “But I’ve barely told you anything. How can you agree to this so fast?”

“I can answer that one,” Maya said. “Nick talks a tough game, but he’s a big softie inside. This messed up your wedding, so of course he wants to save the day. Isn’t that right?”

Phoenix smiled. “You know me too well, Maya.” He glanced at the clock, and his smile fell away when he saw the time. “Normally I’d have a laundry list of questions to ask you, but I need to get down to the detention center before visiting hours are over. Just give Maya your number and I’ll be in touch.”

“Thank you so much,” Viktor said. “After what Mr. Grossberg said, I didn’t think anyone would… Thank you.”

“Thank me after the acquittal.” Phoenix clapped Viktor on the shoulder. “We’ll get this solved. I fight ‘til the end for my clients. But before I go: Where did the murder take place?”

“The Gatewater Hotel,” Viktor replied.

Phoenix turned ashen, and Maya sighed dramatically and said, “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“The Gatewater was the scene of my last case,” Phoenix explained. “And that case was _unpleasant_.”

“Did you win it?”

Phoenix frowned. “You really _are_ from out of the country. Just look up the Matt Engarde trial on the web and find out for yourself. All I’ll say is: If your husband isn’t guilty, I’ll carry him the whole way. I’ve never lost a case for an innocent client. Not one. Engarde, though… He was a true murderer, and he saw justice for it.”

“My Yuuri isn’t like him.”

“Few men are,” Phoenix noted.

“Enough with the doom and gloom,” Maya said. “Let’s go see Yuuri. We’ll take care of him, okay? You can trust us.”

“I don’t have much choice,” Viktor said.

The three of them left the office, and Phoenix locked up behind them. Viktor’s car was parked next to the bike rack, and as Viktor started to get into his crummy rental and Maya set to unchaining her bike, Phoenix called out: “Wait! Are you staying at the Gatewater?”

“Is that a problem?” Viktor asked.

“No, it’s convenient if anything. If I do agree to represent your husband I’ll swing by the crime scene after I speak with him. Then after that…”

“If you have any questions, I’m in room 501.”

“Good, that’s what I was getting at. I’ll catch up with you later on.”

With that, Viktor climbed into his car and Phoenix and Maya mounted their bikes. Viktor drove off, but the defense attorney didn’t make any moves to leave, even when Maya began to pedal away.

She doubled back. “Not coming?” she asked. “What’s up?”

“I just have a bad feeling,” Phoenix said. “I’m paranoid I’ll end up with another guilty client.”

“Oh, stuff it. I’m sure seeing this Yuuri will clear everything up.”

“Yeah… You’re probably right.”

“Always am,” Maya sing-songed.

Phoenix smiled to himself, then put up his kickstand and rode out of the lot with Maya following right behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 10, 5:47 PM**

**DETENTION CENTER**

**VISITOR’S ROOM**

 

The detention guard glared at Phoenix and Maya as they walked into the visitor’s room. “You two again?” he asked. They didn’t have a great relationship with him after the night Phoenix had been allowed to visit Engarde after hours. He’d had to personally drive in to oversee them.

“Glad to see you too,” Phoenix said. “Where’s the defendant?”

“He’s in questioning,” the guard said. “He should be out any second.”

Phoenix shrugged and approached the glass window that separated visitors and detainees. He pulled up an extra chair for Maya, and they sat down to wait.

“What kind of person do you think he’ll be?” Maya wondered.

“Dunno,” Phoenix said. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

“I hope it’s fast. I’m still starving.”

Phoenix chuckled under his breath. “Is food all you can think about?”

“Yep! Especially when it’s burgers.”

They waited for a while, and just when Phoenix was starting to get antsy about the end of visiting hours coming up, the heavy door on the other side of the glass swung open, and Yuuri Nikiforov came through, hands cuffed and legs chained loosely together. _They must think he’ll try to run_ , Phoenix thought.

Yuuri was slight of frame—not skin and bones, but slender like an athlete—and his bright orange detention outfit clashed with the blue plastic rims of his glasses. He looked sad and shell-shocked, but that was a common expression for those in detention—especially if they didn’t actually commit the crime. Yuuri settled into the chair across from them and looked down at his lap, saying nothing.

“Mr. Nikiforov?” Phoenix ventured.

Yuuri looked up slowly. His eyes were red, like he’d been crying moments before. “Mr. Nikiforov. It’s strange being called that." He offered a pained smile. “Really nice, but strange.” He pushed his glasses up a little and peered at them. “Excuse me, but… Who are you?”

“They didn’t tell you?” Phoenix asked.

Yuuri shook his head.

“I’m a defense attorney. My name is Phoenix Wright.”

“A lawyer? Who’s the girl?”

“Maya Fey,” she said. “Don’t mind me. I’m Nick’s assistant.”

“Oh.” Yuuri paused. “Did Viktor send you?”

“He wants me to represent you,” Phoenix said.

“Did you agree?”

“Sort of. I want to ask you a few questions first. Plus, you’ll have to ask to hire me yourself. You would be my client, not your husband.”

“Go ahead,” Yuuri said. “I’m sure it’s nothing they haven’t asked me already.”

Phoenix thought for a moment, then said, “First things first: Who was the victim?”

Yuuri looked down again. Phoenix wondered if he was trying to hide tears. “Phichit Chulanont.”

“I see. Who was Mr. Chulanont to you?”

“My best man,” Yuuri said in a shaky voice. “Also my best friend. He’s a skater, like me.”

“A skater?” Phoenix asked.

“Yeah. Both of us are professional figure skaters. Viktor, too.”

Phoenix noted Yuuri’s use of the present tense to describe the victim. _That’s not something most guilty men would do_ , he thought. “Tell me more about your relationship with him.”

Yuuri looked back up. He did in fact have tears in his eyes, but none on his cheeks. “I met him when I trained in Detroit. I guess you could call him a college friend. After I went back to Japan we’ve kept in touch online. We compete against each other now, so I get to see him sometimes on the circuit.”

“Compete?” Phoenix asked. “So he’s a rival of yours?”

Yuuri shook his head. “Not a rival in the way you’re thinking. Phichit and I are friends. We’re happy if either one of us wins.”

“But someone winning means someone loses, and losing isn’t a happy feeling.”

“That doesn’t bother us,” Yuuri said. “The skating world is really good-natured. Those of us at the top are kind of like a family. We do want to win, but mostly against our personal bests, not because we want each other to lose.”

“So you didn’t see Mr. Chulanont as a threat to your career?”

“No, of course not,” Yuuri said. “I would be excited if Phichit took gold.”

“Has he ever?”

“No,” Yuuri admitted. “He’s never actually placed above me.”

“So that’s not your motive, at least.” Phoenix pondered that for a bit.

“Nick!” Maya exclaimed, and punched him in the side. “He doesn’t have a motive! He didn’t do it!”

“Oww! That hurts, Maya! And we’re not sure if he did it or not.”

“You think I’m guilty?” Yuuri said, voice still quavering.

“Right now you don’t seem like a guilty man, but I can’t be sure. Anyway, if that’s not the motive, what do the police think _is_?”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri said. “No one will tell me anything. They just asked me so many questions.”

“Do you know who the detective in charge is?”

“Umm… I don’t know his name, but he was wearing a green trench coat, and his face was all scruffy…”

“Gumshoe,” Phoenix muttered.

“Pardon me?”

“His name’s Dick Gumshoe. He’s a friend, more or less. I’m sure I can get plenty of information out of him, so we’re safe there.”

Maya beamed. “He saved my life last month.”

“I’d like to be happy for you,” Yuuri said grimly, “but he’s making a case against me now.”

Maya’s face fell. “I guess you’re right.”

“Let’s move on,” Phoenix said. “Your husband told us there’s a witness against you. Any idea who that is?”

“No. They won’t tell me that either.”

“Well, that’s standard, but I bet I can get it out of Gumshoe if I work him the right way.” Phoenix paused. “And what about evidence? They must have some solid evidence if they arrested you so fast.”

Yuuri looked to the side. “Yeah. Well. I… There’s evidence.”

“So?” Maya asked, a little too transparently excited. “What is it?”

“There are other things I don’t know about, but one thing… They, uh… They found blood under my fingernails.”

“ _What_?!” Maya cried.

“Shhh,” Phoenix hissed back. “But… Blood? Please tell me it wasn’t the victim’s.”

“I won’t lie: It was Phichit’s. But _I didn’t kill him_!”

“If that’s true, how did the blood end up there?”

“I… Can’t tell you that. Not until I trust you a little more.”

Phoenix rubbed his temples. “Okay. Okay. I’ve dealt with clients with secrets before.” After a moment he dropped his hands to find Yuuri looking back at him. “How was your friend killed, Mr. Nikiforov?”

“Someone strangled him,” Yuuri said. “I didn’t see the body, but they told me he was strangled.” Tears welled in his eyes, and this time a couple actually tracked down his cheeks. “You’ll find who did it, won’t you?”

“That’s a job for the police. I’m just here to make sure you don’t get locked up yourself.”

“I see,” Yuuri said. “I’m not used to the legal system here.”

“Neither was your husband.” Phoenix locked eyes with him. “Tell me where the body was found.”

“In his room. But…”

“But?”

“It’s strange. The person who found Phichit? I can’t think of a single reason he would’ve gone to that room. He wasn’t sharing with him, or anything like that.”

“Who was this person?” Phoenix asked.

“Another skater. Yuri Plisetsky.”

“Hey, he has your name,” Maya said.

Yuuri nodded. “We call him Yurio, though.”

“Was Yurio accounted for last night?” Phoenix continued.

“As far as I know. He was the last person to leave the reception, and he was sharing a room with someone else, so he must have been with him all night. Otherwise he would probably be arrested too.”

“Did they bring him in for questioning?”

“I’m not sure. I’m sorry, Mr. Wright, but I really don’t know anything about any of this. I’m just… confused. Nothing makes sense, and it feels like everyone’s against me.”

“Well, you _did_ have blood under your nails, so that’s one thing you’re not confused about. You seem to know how it got there.”

Yuuri gulped, his Adam’s apple lolling in his throat. “I do know, but it doesn’t have anything to do with this case. I promise.”

Phoenix waited a beat. “When did you first notice Phichit was missing?”

“I didn’t, really. I was too focused on my new marriage. I thought he’d gone upstairs to bed at some point and didn’t want to bother us by saying goodnight.”

“That’s terrible,” Maya said. “It must’ve been a shock when the cops told you.”

“It was surreal. It didn’t really set in that he was _gone_ until a couple hours ago. I’m still not fully adjusted to it.”

“All of this happened in the Gatewater Hotel, right?” Phoenix asked. “The reception, and where you were all staying?”

“Yeah.”

“What about the wedding?”

“We had it in a gazebo by Gourd Lake,” Yuuri replied. “It was very beautiful. It was the happiest moment of my life, but this is easily the worst.”

“I’m so sorry, Yuuri,” Maya said.

“Thank you.” Yuuri started to get teary again, so he turned away. He wiped at his eyes., “Will you take my case, Mr. Wright?”

“Yeah,” Phoenix said. “I’ll take your case. And I’ll _win_ your case.” He glanced at the clock. “I have more questions, but visiting hours are over, so… I’m sure I’ll be back tomorrow. Stay strong, and this’ll all get sorted out.”

“Believe in us, ‘kay?” Maya said. “We’ll believe in you, too.”

When Yuuri turned back to them he had a small, relieved smile on his lips, even in the face of his tears. “Thank you both,” he said. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They said their goodbyes, and the lawyer and his assistant left the visitor’s room. Maya seemed pleased enough, but their little Q&A session had left Phoenix with more questions than answers.

The bad feeling from earlier still gnawed at his gut.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 10, 7:32 PM**

**GATEWATER HOTEL**

**HOTEL LOBBY**

 

“Didn’t think we’d be back here so soon after Engarde,” Phoenix said as they entered the Gatewater’s revolving doors.

“Believe it!” Maya chirped. “Don’t stress too much, Nick. Maybe we’ll luck out and find a buffet in the banquet hall.”

“Still hungry?”

“When am I not?”

Phoenix grinned and stepped into the lobby of the Gatewater, but his good cheer faded immediately upon entry. The place was swarming with police.

One of them looked up as soon as they walked in. “Hey, you two!” he barked. “This place is off limits! It’s a crime scene.”

“Even the lobby?” Phoenix asked. “I thought—“

“It’s the whole damn hotel,” the cop said. “No one’s allowed in the building other than approved personnel, so unless you’ve got a letter of invitation, you’d better turn—“

“Step aside, Bob. I’ve got this one,” someone interrupted.

Phoenix recognized the voice immediately, and apparently so did Maya. She bounded forward and hugged the detective tight.

“Whoa, whoa, little lady! Let go, would ya? I can’t breathe.”

Maya pulled back. “Sorry,” she said dejectedly, and trudged back over to Phoenix.

“How’s it going, Detective?” Phoenix asked.

“Another day, another murder.” Gumshoe shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his trench coat. “I guess I should say _murders_ , though.”

Phoenix snapped to attention. “Murders? As in more than one?”

“Yup. Three, actually. Biggest mess we’ve seen in this city in years.”

“But Nikiforov was only charged with one murder.”

“For now, sure,” Gumshoe said. “There’s no direct evidence tying him to the other two, but… Where there’s smoke there’s fire, pal. He’ll be charged before the night’s over.”

“You found the other two after he was arrested?”

“Look pal, you know I like you. We have a good working relationship. But I can guess you’re representing the accused, and I can’t just be handing out information to a triple-murderer’s attorney.”

“Aw, come on,” Maya said. “We got you your job back, didn’t we?”

“That was after I lost it for helping you two.”

The three of them stood around in an awkward silence.

“Okay, enough with the silent treatment!” Gumshoe broke in. “I can’t stand it, pal. So I’ll give you one thing.” He fished an envelope out of his right pocket and handed it to Phoenix. “That’s the first victim’s autopsy report.”

“Thanks, Gumshoe,” Phoenix said. “Can I ask just one more question?”

Gumshoe pursed his lips. “Just one? Alright. I don’t see the harm in one question.”

“Maybe you don’t,” came a voice from behind them. “But I certainly do.”

The hairs on the back of Phoenix’s neck stood up. He knew that voice all too well. “Edgeworth,” he said.

“Turn around, Wright. I don’t bite.”

“You might not bite, but from the look on Gumshoe’s face I almost expect you’re about to stab me.” He turned around as commanded.

Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth stood before him in his typical red suit and ruffled ascot with an equally typical sneer on his face. “Meddling in police matters again? I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m not surprised Detective Gumshoe’s lips are flapping, either. And so soon after I vouched for him to be rehired… Hmm, maybe I made a mistake.”

“No, sir! No mistake, Mr. Edgeworth, sir!”

“Right,” Edgeworth said, tipping his head to the side. “Very well then. I suppose Yuuri Nikiforov is your client.”

“What’s this about a triple murder?” Phoenix demanded. “You only have him on the books for one.”

“Yes, well, we weren’t aware of the others at the time. We’ve gotten enough of a look around to have a handle on the situation, however, and I expect he’ll be charged momentarily. Meanwhile, if you think I’m going to let a mass murderer’s attorney traipse around a fresh crime scene, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“I guess there’s no hope of getting a letter of introduction,” Phoenix muttered..

“What was that, Wright?” Edgeworth asked. “You’ll have to speak up so the adults in the room can hear your words.”

Maya balled up her fists and literally growled, but it only came off as amusing from a girl of her small stature. “Mr. Edgeworth!” she said forcefully. “You’re the same age as Nick, and you just helped us on our last case! You can’t go back to acting like… Acting like…”

“Acting like what?”

“A _jerk_!”

Edgeworth shook his head. “I’m only doing my job, and my job is not to aid the defense. Our goals happened to align during the Engarde trial, that’s all. I doubt they will again, so I’m going to need you both to exit my crime scene.”

Maya growled again.

“Calm down, Maya,” Phoenix said. “We’ll leave and come back tomorrow when things are quieter.”

“Yes, do that,” Edgeworth said. “I’m not an unreasonable man. I can’t allow you access while we’re still collecting evidence, but you _can_ come by the Prosecutor’s Office in the morning. I’ll get you that letter of introduction, hmm?”

“Thanks, Edgeworth,” Phoenix said. “We’ll just get going.”

“Perfect.”

Phoenix turned back to Gumshoe. “Thanks for your help, Detective. Maybe we’ll run into each other tomorrow.”

Gumshoe grinned. “Yeah, no problem! And maybe we will. I’ll be here. You guys go get some rest. Tomorrow could be a long day, pal.”

Maya gave him another hug, then followed Phoenix outside.

He stopped in his tracks on the concrete. “So, Maya… It’s after dark, and we’re going to have an early start tomorrow. Want to crash at the office? Taking the train to your village and back so fast is probably too much trouble. Isn’t it a two-hour trip?”

Maya shrugged good-naturedly. “I don’t mind it, but that sounds like a plan to me. You know I can’t sleep in that dark office all by myself, though.”

“Sure. As usual, you get the couch and I get the floor.”

“That’s what I thought!” she said. “And hey now… Don’t forget the burgers.”


	2. Second Day - Investigation

**APRIL 11, 8:45 AM**

**WRIGHT AND CO. LAW OFFICES**

Something abruptly thumped against Phoenix’s side, jolting him awake. The something hit him again, and, through blurry, sleepy eyes, he looked up to see Maya standing over him.

“Wake up, Nick!” she ordered, and kicked him again.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Phoenix cried at three more kicks. He shot to his feet and backed away from her. “There are other ways to wake a guy up, you know.”

“I tried other ways,” Maya said, frowning. “You were dead to the world, and look at the time.”

Phoenix noted she was fully dressed in her usual purple garb—he was still in the pair of pajamas he kept in the office for all-nighters—and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the clock. “Maya! Why didn’t you wake me up?!”

“Weren’t you listening? I tried! I’ve been up since six.”

“The Prosecutor’s Office has been open for forty-five minues…”

“Yeah, duh. Hurry up and get dressed! Mr. Edgeworth is waiting!”

Phoenix nodded, grabbed his neatly folded suit and pants from his desk, and dashed to the bathroom to get changed. He pulled out of his pajamas and into his suit at a frenzied pace, then flung open the bathroom door and ran back into the office.

“Aw, Nick,” Maya cooed. “You’re out of shape.”

Phoenix was breathing hard from all the activity. “Not... Out… Of… Shape…” he gasped, bending over and clutching his knees.

“Whatever you say.” She handed him his shoes. “Put these on and meet me at the bike rack, okay?”

“Sure,” Phoenix said. He’d composed himself now.

After Maya left, Phoenix went over to the couch to slip into his shoes. When he sat, he felt something crinkly in his back pocket. He reached for it, and removed an envelope. _What’s this…?_ A light bulb went on over his head. _The autopsy report!_ he thought. _I forgot to read it!_

He hastily opened the flap and removed a single sheet of paper. His excitement at remembering the thing didn’t take long to disappear as he scanned the text:

 

_Preliminary Autopsy Report_

_Phichit Chulanont, Male, 22 years old_

_Time of Death: N/A, awaiting further analysis_

_Cause of Death: Blood loss from apparent knife wound in abdomen_

There was some more medical jargon after that, but nothing stuck out as blatantly as the cause of death did: Stabbing. Yuuri had told Phoenix the victim was strangled. He ran his left hand through his spiky hair, his right clutching the report tightly. He read the line again: _Blood loss from apparent knife wound in abdomen_. No mention of strangling whatsoever. He shook his head in confusion, slipped the paper back in its envelope, and shut it away in his briefcase. He’d have to ask… well, _everyone_ about this. First, though, he needed to get that letter of introduction.

He flipped off the lights and left the office behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 11, 9:37 AM**

**HIGH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE**

**ROOM 1202**

Phoenix and Maya glanced around the room as Edgeworth ushered them inside. The office hadn’t changed much in the last year. The velvet seating and curtains were still a perfect match with the color of the prosecutor’s favored suit, and Phoenix was relieved to note that the Steel Samurai figurine hadn’t moved from its spot by the window. The last time he’d been here that figurine had been one of the only reasons he hadn’t completely given up on his old friend—if he could even have been called that at the time. The figurine made him human in a way he hadn’t seen since their school days. The only thing missing from the room was the King of Prosecutors trophy, but that was hardly a surprise. Edgeworth had made no secret of his disdain for the piece of junk during the Skye trial.

“So,” Edgeworth began, wasting no time as he gently closed the door behind them. “I expect you’re seeking that letter of introduction?”

Phoenix nodded, but said nothing. Instead he studied Edgeworth’s demeanor. He seemed… calm, almost. At ease. It was a very strange look on him, but considering the Engarde trial had marked a seismic shift in both of their lives, Phoenix guessed it was only natural that he’d be changed in more ways than his outlook on his career. They’d worked in an improbable tandem as attorney and prosecutor to convict a killer and save a young girl’s life, and underneath their professional rivalry, that gave them a sense of real camaraderie.

“Very well,” Edgeworth said. “I’ll get it written up.” He took pen and paper from his desk and set to the page in a loopy, elegant script that could only have come from the hand of Miles Edgeworth.

“Your office is really something,” Maya said in awe, ogling Edgeworth’s floor-to-ceiling wall of legal texts.

Phoenix had forgotten she’d never seen the place. He’d been here with Ema Skye all those months ago, not Maya. The two girls were so similar they blurred in his mind sometimes. _I wonder how Ema’s doing_ , he thought absently.

“Thank you,” Edgeworth said. “I think, anyway.” He folded the letter and sealed it in an envelope. “Give this to Detective Gumshoe, and he’ll let you have the run of the Gatewater.”

Phoenix accepted the envelope. “Thanks, Edgeworth,” he said. He paused a bit before adding, “Can I ask you something?”

“You _may_ ask me something,” Edgeworth corrected, tilting his chin up snidely. It seemed in good humor—or what approximated humor to him—so Phoenix let it slide.

“Something’s been bugging me.” He set his briefcase on the table and unlatched it, then took out the crumpled autopsy report and handed it to Edgeworth. “Read that.”

Edgeworth looked down at the report, then immediately back up to Phoenix. “There’s no need to read it. I have a copy of my own. Why are you presenting it to me now?”

“Is it true?”

“The report?” Edgeworth frowned. “Of course it’s accurate. The cause of death in this case was a simple thing to determine.”

“But it says it was a stabbing.”

Edgeworth’s frown deepened. “Where are you going with this? You’ve clearly read the report.”

Phoenix opened his mouth to speak, but Maya cut him off before he could get a word out. “What do you mean _stabbing_?” she demanded. “We already know he was strangled, not stabbed.”

Edgeworth gave a simple: “Ah,” then shook his head. His bangs fell across his forehead, and he pushed them aside before answering, “You must have spoken to Nikiforov.”

“I spoke to both of them, actually,” Phoenix said. “But Maya’s right: My client told us the victim was strangled. Why does the report disagree?”

“Are you really so dense, Wright?”

Phoenix thought: _Apparently I am_ …

“It’s obvious,” Maya said, snapping him back to attention. “Mr. Edgeworth was the one who told Yuuri the victim was strangled to death. It was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Edgeworth chuckled, but it wasn’t his usual sardonic courtroom chuckle. He seemed in good spirits. “No, no, nothing like that. I’m not in the habit of lying to anyone, not anymore. I _am_ however in the habit of keeping sensitive details close to my chest when circumstance demands it. If Nikiforov is truly the killer—as I’m sure he is—no one should have to explain his crime to him. So I simply didn’t, and I made sure none of the detectives did, either. He can speak for himself.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t let him fool you, Wright. That man is just as aware of the contents of _this_ —“ he held up the autopsy report—“as you and I are. More so, considering he carried out the deed.”

“He was telling us the truth!” Maya protested. “I could tell.”

“Miss Fey, you’re nothing if not innocent. Would that we could all see the world that way, but most of us cannot. Yuuri Nikiforov stabbed Phichit Chulanont to death, and that is a fact. Whether he admits to knowledge of that fact in detention isn’t my concern. My only concern is seeing him convicted in court.”

Phoenix took a step forward. “Edgeworth,” he said. “What if he’s not lying? What if he really doesn’t know? Doesn’t he have a right to know all the details? Letting him go on believing something untrue is… is…”

“Cruel?” Edgeworth finished. “I think the act of murder is far crueler than withholding information a man already knows, yet refuses to acknowledge.” He sighed and held out the autopsy report. “Here. Have it back.”

Before Phoenix had even finished putting the envelope back into his briefcase, Edgeworth had already settled in behind his desk to pore over documents—no doubt pertaining to the case against Yuuri.

Phoenix and Maya exchanged one of their knowing glances as Edgeworth ignored them. He was clearly done talking, so they both knew there wasn’t much point spending any more valuable time in the office. They turned to leave, but before they could get very far, Edgeworth rang out: “Wright.”

Phoenix jumped at the single word like a gunshot. “Y-yeah?” he stammered, looking back over his shoulder.

“Contention aside…” Edgeworth’s lips tightened for a moment before lifting into something like a smile. “It was nice seeing you both. It’s been a while.”

“You too, Edgeworth,” Phoenix returned. “And we’ll see each other again tomorrow.”

“Yes.” The prosecutor’s smile fell away. “On the field of battle.”

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 11, 10:10 AM**

**PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE**

**UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT**

As Phoenix leaned down to unchain their bikes, he noticed Maya had her face scrunched up, deep in thought. “What’s up, Maya?” he asked. “Any big ideas in that brain of yours?”

“Don’t joke! I’m trying to think over here,” she shot back. “Not that there’s much to go on. I’m sure Yuuri’s telling the truth, but I don’t think Mr. Edgeworth is lying, either. I mean… It would take a lot of guts to forge an autopsy report.”

Phoenix sighed. “You’re right. The Prosecutor’s Office might be crooked, but it’s not _that_ crooked. It’d be too obvious. So now we’re down to what Yuuri knows or doesn’t know. You really think he’s being honest?”

“Don’t you? You’re the one who took his case.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Phoenix said with another sigh, louder this time. “Now where does this leave us? If he really doesn’t know about the stabbing, that proves he’s innocent, doesn’t it?”

“Right!” Maya said. Her face un-scrunched in favor of her typical sunny smile. “And hey, if he’s innocent…”

“…Then we can get him acquitted.”

“Yep! So where to next, Nick?”

“If Yuuri is clueless, he’s not going to be much help to us. I say we take advantage of that letter of introduction.” Phoenix put his key in his bike chain’s padlock, but froze before actually turning it. “Wait. Oh. Oh no.”

“Oh no what? You know I don’t like oh nos.”

“We forgot to ask about the other two murders.”

Maya abruptly bent forward and planted her forehead against the garage’s concrete wall. “Ugggh. _Of course_ we did. What were we thinking?”

“I was too wrapped up in the strangling versus stabbing thing, but… actually, it doesn’t matter. Edgeworth wouldn’t have given us much, anyway. Gumshoe’s who we need to talk to.”

“He’ll be at the hotel,” Maya noted.

Phoenix nodded and got on his bike. “Next stop: Gatewater.”

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 11, 10:40 AM**

**GATEWATER HOTEL**

**HOTEL LOBBY**

The lobby was decidedly less busy than it had been the day before. There were still a couple of cops keeping watch, but they seemed more concerned with blocking off the hall to the elevators than commanding the entire room.

“I guess the lobby wasn’t a crime scene after all,” Maya said.

“They were probably just being careful. I’d be freaked out about finding three bodies, too.”

Maya elbowed him. “Don’t pretend you weren’t gung-ho to get started as soon as you heard the word _murders_. I saw that look in your eyes.”

Phoenix smirked. “Oh yeah? What look is that?”

“You know, like how the Steel Samurai looks when he’s about to go after the Evil Magistrate.”

“The Steel Samurai wears a mask, Maya. You can’t see his eyes.”

“Details, details! Now let’s get cracking and hand over that letter.”

Phoenix took out the letter of introduction and approached the two cops. “Hi there,” he said lamely.

They just stared at him.

“I’m, ah…”

“Phoenix Wright, Attorney at Law,” Maya said in a firm voice.

“I don’t care who you are,” one of the cops said. “I can’t let you pass.”

Phoenix held out the letter. “I have permission here from the Prosecutor’s Office…”

The cop snatched it out of his hand and took a gander. “Well,” he said with a shrug, “there’s no mistaking Prosecutor Edgeworth’s handwriting. Go on in. Just don’t touch anything, alright?”

“Not a problem,” Phoenix said. _I’d rather not end up in detention myself_ , he thought.

The hallway fed into a large room with elevators lining both sides, four to a wall. There were three uniformed cops there—none of whom Phoenix recognized—and one very large man in a very ratty trench coat. His back was to them, and Phoenix noted with a sinking feeling that he was standing over a spread of white tape on the marble floor. White tape only meant one thing: A body had been there.

Gumshoe heard their footsteps and turned around. His usual broad grin didn’t come. Phoenix wasn’t surprised, given the circumstances, but it was always an unpleasant surprise to see Gumshoe looking grim.

“Hey, pals,” the detective said. “Guess Mr. Edgeworth let you in.”

“Something like that,” Phoenix said. “What’s going on here, Gumshoe?”

“Jumping right in, huh? Well, it’s like I said yesterday. We’ve got murders on our hands. One of ‘em happened right here.” He hooked a thumb back over his shoulder at the taped outline.

“Wasn’t the victim found in his room?” Maya asked.

“Nah, you’re talking about the first victim. This one’s the second. Well, at least the second we _found_. Don’t know what order they were killed in, not yet at least.”

“Who’s this victim, then?” Phoenix asked.

“Isabella… something.” Gumshoe scratched at his head—clueless as ever—then pulled out his pocket notebook and flipped through some pages. “Leroy. Isabella Leroy. She was here for the wedding, too, so it’s definitely related.”

Phoenix grimaced. He didn’t like the thought of anyone having their life robbed from them so soon after a joyous wedding. “How was she killed?” he asked.

“Stabbed, pal. Stabbed a lot.”

“How much is a lot?”

“The forensics guys say six times.”

Maya gasped. “Six…” she trailed off. “Who could do something like that?”

“I hate to say it, but I’m thinking it was your client.”

“Why? And how?” Phoenix sputtered. “This is a public area! How did no one find the body?”

“It was in one of the elevators,” Gumshoe said. “It seems the killer pulled the emergency stop switch. By the time it was overridden your guy was already in detention.”

“No one noticed it wasn’t working?”

Gumshoe shrugged. “There are eight elevators here, pal. Seven’s more than enough to pick up the slack when one’s out of order.”

Phoenix had no idea what to say next. He was starting to feel like the world was spinning, and his vision was beginning to narrow. _I need to get a grip_ , he thought, and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He counted to three, and when he opened them, he found Gumshoe looking back at him quizzically. The spinning had mostly stopped, but he still felt sick to his stomach.

“You okay, pal?” Gumshoe asked.

“Fine,” Phoenix said. “I’m fine.”

“Hey, Detective Gumshoe?” Maya piped up. “Shouldn’t the tape be in the elevator? How’d the body get to the floor here?”

“When the doors opened some guests tried to pull Mrs. Leroy out. They didn’t want her going back up again in case she needed help right away. From the way she looked, though, I’ve got no idea how they thought she might still be alive. They got their fingerprints all over the place, but so have all the other guests.” He shook his head. “The only silver lining here is they’d just gotten off a bus not five minutes earlier, so there’s no way any of them could’ve done it. That’s six fewer suspects to worry about. They sure did make a mess of the crime scene, though.”

Phoenix peered around Gumshoe to get his first good look at the marble floor. A dark red trail led into the elevator. He couldn’t see through the doors from his angle, but he was sure there were plenty more red splotches to be found inside. “When was she found?” he asked.

“Around ten AM.”

“And Nikiforov had been in custody since eight thirty…” Phoenix said, thinking out loud. “How long was the elevator frozen?”

“Since sevenish,” Gumshoe said. “I guess restarting it wasn’t much of a priority for the hotel staff.”

Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose. _This isn’t happening,_ he thought. _I didn’t take a triple murderer’s case!_

With that thought, he knew what he needed to ask next.

“There were three murders,” he said.

“That’s right, pal.”

“What was the third?”

Gumshoe quickly looked away. “I wish I could help you with that, I really do, but I’m under orders from the Prosecutor’s Office not to give away any information. It’s still ongoing.”

“What do you mean it’s _ongoing_?” Maya insisted. “Nick is Yuuri’s lawyer! We need to know!”

“Maya’s right,” Phoenix said. “We need as much information as we can get.”

Gumshoe looked back to him with sheepish eyes. “Sorry, pal. I really can’t. You know I just got rehired, and I can’t take another salary cut, either. I’m rationing instant noodles as it is.”

Phoenix raked his hand through his hair. “Alright. Okay. It’s fine. If you can’t tell us anything about the murder, can you at least tell us when it won’t be _ongoing_ anymore?”

“No idea,” Gumshoe said. “It’s a little embarrassing, but… I’m not allowed in the room.”

 _Then it happened in one of the hotel rooms,_ Phoenix thought. “Who _is_ allowed in, then?”

“Mr. Edgeworth and forensics. No one else.”

“This is crazy,” Maya said. “I feel like I’m gonna burst.”

“Please don’t,” Gumshoe begged. “I can’t deal with more blood and guts today.”

She crossed her arms and pouted. “Can we at least see the scene of the first crime?”

“Fine by me, pal. It’s room 503. Do me a favor and use the stairs.”

“Thanks, Gumshoe,” Phoenix said, but he wasn’t actually feeling gracious. Getting shut out of the third murder investigation was a nightmare he desperately wanted to wake up from. _If Edgeworth springs the whole thing on me in court, then…_

Maya reached up and squeezed his shoulder. She always knew when he was getting down on himself. “Don’t let it shake you, Nick. Let’s just get going.”

They said their goodbyes to Gumshoe and booked it for the stairwell.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 11, 11:05 AM**

**GATEWATER HOTEL**

**CHULANONT’S ROOM**

“Here’s 503,” Phoenix said, stopping in front of the door.

“Why’s there no one around?” Maya wondered. “It’s kind of spooky.”

“Should we knock?”

Maya stalked up to the door and rapped on it hard. They waited a bit, but no one answered. “Really, where are the cops?”

“Maybe they’re done with the crime scene. Lemme try…” Phoenix reached for the handle. _Maybe it’s unlocked_ , he thought, grasped it, and twisted. It actually gave way, and he pushed the door open.

“That’s weird,” Maya said. “You’d think there’d be better security.”

“Either way, we—“ he cut off abruptly when he saw something inside the room. More accurately, some _one_.

“ _Privet_ , friends!” Viktor called.

Phoenix and Maya just blinked at him from the entryway.

“It means _hello_ ,” Viktor explained.

“…Right,” Phoenix said. “Hello to you, too, Viktor.”

“You don’t seem happy to see me.”

“I’m just a little confused,” Phoenix said after a pause. “What are you doing in here?”

“Looking around.”

“Around the victim’s room? This is a crime scene.”

“That’s a little suspicious,” Maya whispered to Phoenix.

“Ya think?” he returned.

“I’m sorry,” Viktor said. “It must seem odd. I’m only looking for clues to help my Yuuri.”

Phoenix blinked some more. “Clues? I’m pretty sure the police have already collected all the evidence.”

“Yes, unfortunately I already found that out. There’s nothing here, except _that_.” He pointed to the white tape outline on the floor. The carpet there was dark, but the bloodstains were still clearly visible stretching out in such a wide area it boggled Phoenix’s mind. Phichit had lost an incredible amount of blood from just a single knife wound.

“Nick,” Maya said. “Look over there.” She gestured to the other side of the room.

Phoenix turned his head and groaned loudly. “Is that a joke?”

“I wish,” Maya muttered.

There was a shattered flower vase on the floor. It had been knocked off of the room’s desk just like the vase in Juan Corrida’s room during the Engarde trial. “Two Gatewater cases in a row, and two vases in two crime scenes in two hotel rooms?” Phoenix shook his head. “This is ridiculous.”

“What’s wrong?” Viktor asked.

“Everything.”

“Nothing!” Maya blurted over him. “Nothing’s wrong. Just a bad memory, that’s all. But Viktor… How long have you been here?”

“Not long,” he said. “Only three, maybe four minutes. I came in when the last of the police left.”

“You were waiting for them to leave?”

“Not exactly. I heard them go. In case you forgot, I’m in room 501. It’s right next door.”

“Oh!” Phoenix said. “That’s right. We were supposed to come up and visit last night. I forgot to call to tell you they wouldn’t let us into the hotel.”

“Wouldn’t let you in? Why’s that?”

“Don’t you know?” Maya asked.

Viktor shook his head in confusion.

“There were two more murders,” Maya said. “Other than the one here.”

The Russian cringed away. “Two others? My God. Then the police must know it wasn’t Yuuri. He didn’t have time to commit even one murder, let alone three. He was with me the whole time.”

“With you _where_?” Phoenix asked.

Color rose in Viktor’s cheeks. “I… We were in bed. It was our wedding night.”

“You didn’t sleep?”

“Not a bit. He never left my sight, other than… Hmm. No, that wouldn’t have been long enough, either.”

“I’ll need you to elaborate on that,” Phoenix said.

“We ran out of… _protection_. He went down to the hotel shop. He wasn’t gone ten minutes.”

Maya looked away, blushing herself now.

“What time did Yuuri leave?” Phoenix asked. He seemed unfazed by Viktor’s admission.

“I’m not sure. It was still dark out, so maybe four or five AM. I didn’t check the clock, and I was a bit distracted.”

“And what did you do while he was gone?”

“Me?” Viktor asked. “Why do you need to know what _I_ was doing?”

Phoenix crossed his arms. “I need to get every side of this if I’m going to win tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Viktor said. “If you need to know… I took a shower.”

Maya found her voice. “A shower? Isn’t that a little strange?”

“Why would that be strange?” Viktor replied.

“Yeah, why would it be?” Phoenix echoed.

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Both men stared at her.

“Hey, quit with the glares! I just had a thought, but it was stupid. Move on.”

“If you say so,” Phoenix said slowly. “So, Mr. Niki—sorry, Viktor. You found nothing here?”

“Not one clue,” he replied.

“And you did a thorough search?”

“Extremely.”

“In that case, there’s no reason for you to stay, is there? You ought to get going. The police might come back. It wouldn’t be good if they found you here.”

Viktor nodded. “Okay. I’ll leave the investigating to you two now, but you won’t find anything I didn’t.”

“We’ll see,” Maya said. There was a touch of aggression in her voice that confused Phoenix.

“ _Do svidaniya_ ,” Viktor said, and slipped around Maya and out the door.

She slammed it behind him. “That was way too weird,” she told Phoenix. “I mean, I didn’t expect Yuuri’s husband to…”

“Be meddling with our crime scene? Yeah, neither did I.” He nervously scratched the back of his neck, as he so often did. “He did say he was just trying to help.”

“Should we believe him?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m not sure we should believe _anyone_ at this point.”

“You still have that feeling, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Phoenix said. “The one about another guilty client. It’s gnawing at me pretty hard.”

Maya approached the white tape. “Well, I know one thing for sure,” she said. “Phichit definitely wasn’t strangled.”

Phoenix stepped up next to her and stared at the ugly maroon stain. _It’s probably still sticky_ , he thought morbidly. “Whoever made this mess killed that Isabella woman, as well. He’s spilled more blood than I care to think about.”

“Well, we _have_ to think about it,” Maya said. “And who says it’s a he?”

“Good point.” Phoenix scanned the room, letting his eyes linger over the broken vase and wincing slightly at the memory of the _other_ vase. “If they’re done with the scene, let’s rifle through some things,” he said.

“Thought you’d never ask!” Maya pulled a digital camera out of her pocket and started snapping away at all angles.

Phoenix went over to the room’s sitting area first. The table in front of the couch was bare save for the TV remote, and there wasn’t anything resting on top of the cushions. He pulled them up one by one, but all he found under them was some loose change and a crumpled receipt. He was about to replace the last cushion when he remembered something: A receipt had been vital to the Engarde case. Maybe it was nothing, but… He snatched it up and set the cushion back down again. He smoothed the receipt on the table, then held it up to the light.

“What’s that?” Maya asked.

“I dunno,” Phoenix replied. “Seems like nothing. Something that fell out of some guest’s pocket and got lost in the couch, I guess.”

“Well? What does it say?”

“It’s just a receipt from an office store for some pens and a legal pad.”

Maya sighed. “That’s not very helpful.”

“No,” Phoenix said, “but I think I’ll hold on to it just in case.” He shoved it in his pocket. “Did you get enough photos?”

“Yup. I went through the drawers, too, but they’re empty. I think the detectives must have taken Phichit’s clothes with them.”

“I wonder why they’d do that?” Phoenix mused. He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. If they’re relevant to the case, I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow. Right now I’m more curious where his suitcase is.”

“I’m _sure_ they took that,” Maya said.

“Maybe. Unless he hid it someplace.”

“Alright. You check under the bed, and I’ll check the closets.”

Phoenix stooped to peer under the spacious king-sized Gatewater bed. It was too dark to see much, so he took out his phone to use as a flashlight. Nothing, except… _What’s that?_ he thought. _There’s something…_

He had to shimmy under the bed to get to it, but there was a piece of paper on the floor below the bed. He picked it up and crawled back out, letting out a relieved breath as he left the cramped space. He checked the paper. It was lined, but there was nothing written on it. It must have fallen there by accident.

“Nick!” Maya called, apparently from the bathroom.

Phoenix found her staring into the toilet tank when he reached the bathroom. “Find something?” he asked.

She nodded emphatically and pulled out a waterlogged piece of paper not unlike the one Phoenix still held in his hand. This one _had_ been written on—in purple ink—but the water in the tank had bled the words together. There was no hope of deciphering it.

“How did they not find that?”

“Beats me,” Maya said.

“The police are so incompetent in this city,” Phoenix sighed. “I found a page like that under the bed, too. We might as well keep them.”

Maya held her discovery up by one dripping corner. “Probably, but this thing is all soggy and gross.”

“Dry it with the hair dryer, then.”

“Hey, that’s actually a good plan. You’re pretty smart sometimes, Nick.”

“Only sometimes?”

Maya grinned devilishly. “Only sometimes.”

Phoenix grinned back, then said, “I guess that’s all we’re going to find in here. Can’t believe the police missed that paper, but… It could be good for us.”

“It might not even be Phichit’s. Who knows how long it’s been in there?”

“It’s more evidence than we started with.”

“True,” Maya said.

“Something’s bothering me, though.”

“What’s that?”

“The murder weapon, for a couple of reasons. First, where is it? Second, was it used in the third murder, too?”

Maya plopped down on the edge of the tub in frustration. “The third murder really bugs me. We _have_ to know more about it.”

“With Edgeworth in charge I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Is it even legal keeping it from us?”

“Hmm.” Phoenix scratched his chin. “It shouldn’t be, but… Ah!” He bolted to attention. “I know what he’s up to! He hasn’t charged Yuuri with the other two murders yet. He can withhold as much as he wants and claim the information isn’t relevant to the trial.”

“That’s tricky, but it sure sounds like something Edgeworth would do.”

“It _is_ tricky, but it’s a double-edged sword for him. He can’t present any evidence from those killings if he plays it like that.”

“He’ll find a way. You know Edgeworth.”

Phoenix grimaced and checked his watch. “It’s only twelve thirty,” he said, “but I feel like we’re already out of leads.”

“Shouldn’t we talk to the witness?”

“Come on, Maya. You’ve been doing this long enough to know the prosecution won’t allow that.”

“Oh. Right.” She bit her lip in thought. “This is _bad_ , Nick. We have basically nothing to go on this time.”

“I know. Everything points to our client, too.” He drifted away in thought before abruptly snapping his fingers. “Wait! There’s one thing we haven’t sorted out yet. Why was the victim’s blood under Yuuri’s fingernails?”

“I don’t know, but the reason can’t be good,” Maya said, staring at her feet. “Nick… I really believed in Yuuri, but… We haven’t found any evidence pointing to anyone else, or even away from him.”

“We have some information, though. And information is enough to point out contradictions.”

“Are you sure?”

Phoenix didn’t answer the question. He just turned to the door and said, “Come on. It’s time to pay another visit to the detention center.”

Maya hopped up off the tub and followed him out.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 11, 1:32 PM**

**DETENTION CENTER**

**VISITOR’S ROOM**

Yuuri sat down in the chair opposite Phoenix and Maya. He looked even more beaten-down and crestfallen than he had yesterday, but Phoenix supposed that was normal. He was sure he’d been through plenty of questioning.

“Hey, Yuuri,” Maya said. “Chin up, okay?”

He blinked at her before straightening his posture. “Right,” he said. “I can’t let this break me. So… How’s the investigation going?”

Phoenix frowned deeply. “Well,” he said, “it’s really not.”

“Not going…? What do you mean?”

“There’s no evidence to support you,” Maya said. “Just plenty of it against you, apparently.”

“She says _apparently_ because we don’t even know what some of it is,” Phoenix said. “Or who the witness is.”

“It’s Yurio, remember? Yurio Plisetski.”

“I remember his name,” Phoenix said. “I just don’t know what he’s going to say tomorrow. There are a lot of unknowns in this case, and frankly… I don’t like it.”

“Then what are we supposed to do? Mr. Wright… I hired you to defend me.”

“And I intend to do my best.”

“What if your best isn’t good enough?” Yuuri asked quietly.

“Nope,” Maya said. “Nick’s best is _always_ good enough. Trust me. He’s defended me before, too.”

“Has he?” Yuuri tilted his head a little. “Was there a lot of evidence against you, too?”

Phoenix chuckled to himself, and Maya punched him in the arm, prompting a little: _Ow!_

“Ignore him,” she said. “And yeah, maybe even more evidence. One time I was in a closed room with the victim. I thought I did it. At least you _know_ you didn’t do it.”

“That’s a strange story.”

“Speaking of strange stories,” Phoenix said. “Yesterday you told us Phichit had been strangled.”

“Why’s that strange?”

“Because he was actually stabbed to death.”

Yuuri reeled back in his chair. “Stabbed?!”

“Yeah,” Phoenix said. “Plus, he wasn’t the only victim.”

“Not the only… What are you saying? If he wasn’t strangled, then why did he say he was?”

“ _He_?” Phoenix pressed.

“Yurio,” Yuuri explained. “When I came down for breakfast, he said… He said ‘That’s him. That’s the man who strangled Phichit.’ And then the police arrested me for murder.”

Phoenix and Maya exchanged a glance. “Did he really not know?” Maya whispered.

“Apparently not,” Phoenix whispered back. Then, turning back to Yuuri, he said, “Then there’s the matter of the other two murders.”

“Other two…” Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t understand. Who died? _Who else died_?”

“I know this must be hard for you,” Phoenix said. “I know Phichit was your friend, and… Isabella Leroy was the second victim. Did you know her well?”

“Isa… Isabella?” Yuuri struggled out. Tears welled in his eyes. “She… She never did anything wrong…”

“Neither did Phichit,” Maya noted.

Phoenix elbowed _her_ this time. That would only make Yuuri feel worse. “So you did know her?”

Yuuri nodded. “She’s JJ’s wife.”

“JJ?”

“Jean-Jacques Leroy,” Yuuri said. “Another skater.”

“Another rival?”

“Y-yeah,” Yuuri stammered. “But it’s like I told you, we don’t fight each other for gold, we _want_ each other to do well—“

Phoenix held up his hand. “I know. I know. Maybe I’ll understand more after I talk to another skater.”

Yuuri’s eyebrows shot up. “You haven’t… How?”

“Well, we talked to Viktor,” Maya said. “Otherwise, no one’s been around, or they’ve been off limits.”

“But talking to them is the only way you can clear my name.”

“We _will_ talk to them,” Phoenix said. “In court, and maybe after that if the trial goes on longer than a day.”

“But not today?” Yuuri shook his head again. “Who was the third victim?”

“Heh, well, we’re not sure about that,” Phoenix said. “The prosecutor in charge is keeping the murder under wraps.”

“Is that legal?”

“I thought the same thing,” Maya said. “But it seems to be.”

“Well,” Yuuri said, looking down at his lap. “I really don’t know how to help. If you’re out of people to talk to, and there’s nothing I can add…” He looked up and locked eyes with Phoenix. “Is this hopeless, Mr. Wright? Is there nothing we can do?”

“I’ll figure something out,” Phoenix said. “But there _is_ something you can clear up for us. The blood under your fingernails… How did it get there?”

Yuuri looked to the side. “I told you I can’t tell you that,” he said. “But really, I promise it has nothing to do with this case. Nothing at all.”

“Yes It does!” Maya cried. “It has—“

“Relax, Maya. Yuuri… What Maya’s trying to say is, everything that can be used against you _will_ be used against you. If you had the victim’s blood under your nails, you can bet they’ll throw that at you, too. So it doesn’t matter if the blood got there some other way. We need to be prepared for that, too. So please, just tell us _how_.”

Yuuri took a deep breath. “Alright,” he said. “But please… If it doesn’t come up in court, don’t bring it up yourself, okay? Promise me.”

Phoenix nodded. “We promise.”

“Phichit…” Yuuri began. “After the wedding, before the reception, he was trying to tell me something, and he said something really awful, and I… I punched him. That’s all. It wasn’t a real fight.”

Phoenix slammed his fist on the counter between them. “Dammit, Yuuri! This could cost us the case. How could you think this has nothing to do with the trial?”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri said, shrinking into his chair. “I just… What he said didn’t… It didn’t matter enough for murder. I wouldn’t have killed him over it. I just swung at him once.”

“What did he say?” Phoenix pressed. “Tell us now.”

“I can’t,” Yuuri said. “I’m sorry. I just can’t. Maybe if it comes up in court, but… Even then, I don’t think I can… No. I can’t.”

“Do you _want_ to be found guilty?” Maya shot at him. “This is a good way to do it.”

“I _can’t_ ,” Yuuri repeated. “I’ve told you everything I know. Can we just end this now? Wait until the trial tomorrow and see what happens?”

“Mr. Nikiforov,” Phoenix said in a measured tone. “I can’t guarantee I can win you a not guilty verdict if you keep this information from me. Are you willing to take that risk?”

Yuuri swallowed hard. “I am.”

Phoenix shoved his chair back hard and stood up. “Okay, then. We’ll see you tomorrow in court. Ten AM.”

“Ten AM,” Yuuri echoed.

As they walked from the detention center to the bike racks, Maya asked Phoenix, “What could’ve possibly made him punch his best friend?”

“More to the point,” Phoenix said, pulling out his keys, “what could he have punched him about that didn’t affect their interactions at the reception? No one noticed anything weird.”

“That’s not exactly true. Yuuri and Viktor both told us they were too focused on each other to even notice when Phichit left. They might not have spoken to each other at all.”

Phoenix groaned. “That’s just another thing we’ll have to find out in court.” He checked his watch. “After two and nowhere left to go. What do we do now?”

“Burgers?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Maya.”

“Who says I’m joking?”

That actually brought a smile to Phoenix’s lips. Maya was always able to cheer him up. “It’s not the time for burgers,” he said. “Let’s save them for after we win the case.”

He unchained their bikes and they pedaled back to the office in silence, each of them mentally preparing for what came next:

The trial of Yuuri Nikiforov.


	3. Third Day - Trial

**APRIL 12, 9:54 AM**

**DISTRICT COURT**

**DEFENDANT LOBBY No. 3**

The defendant lobby was eerily calm. Usually so soon before a trial Phoenix would be doing his best to comfort his client—or squeezing out some last bit of information from them—but somehow Yuuri was still tied up in questioning.

Maya tugged at her sleeve nervously as the she and Phoenix stood around waiting. After a while of tense silence, she said, “I don’t like this one bit, Nick. The trial literally starts in five minutes. Why haven’t they brought him to us?”

Phoenix frowned. “A better question is: Why is he in questioning at all? They had all day to grill him yesterday.”

“You think something new came up?”

“I’m not sure, but—“ Heavy footsteps echoed up the hallway outside. “I guess we’re about to find out, huh?”

The door to the lobby slammed open, and Yuuri shuffled in guided by a very imposing bailiff. He looked completely exhausted. If he really was awake the whole wedding night, that’d make him chugging along on three sleepless nights in a row.

“I’m surprised you’re still standing,” Phoenix said by way of greeting, forcing a smile for Yuuri’s benefit. “You haven’t slept in days, have you?”

Yuuri didn’t return the smile. He was probably incapable. “A little bit here and there,” he said. “But definitely not last night. I couldn’t before _this_.” Pain crossed his face.

“Hey, Yuuri,” Maya said softly, “it’s gonna be okay, alright? Nick and I will take care of you.”

“You really believe that?”

“Yup,” Maya said. “I do. So be brave for us.”

Yuuri tightened his jaw, then nodded once.

“While you’re busy being brave,” Phoenix said, “Any chance you’ll let us in on why you were in questioning all morning?”

“You won’t like the answer.”

“Try me.”

Yuuri nodded again. “They charged me with the other murder as soon as I woke up. You know… Isabella’s murder.” The pain on his face intensified. “I don’t know if you can understand this, but… everything’s so messed up in my mind. How can she and Phichit both be dead? I can’t understand it. The wedding was only three days ago, and they were both having so much fun. They were really vibrant. Now somehow they’re gone, and I’m the one on trial for it. They were my friends, Mr. Wright. It’s all so messed up.”

Phoenix reached out to clutch Yuuri’s shoulder. “I won’t let you take the fall for either one of their murders. I promise.”

The bailiff cleared her throat. “Court will commence shortly,” she said in a monotone. “Please proceed into the courtroom.”

Phoenix took his hand away and asked, “Are you ready?”

“No,” Yuuri admitted.

“I didn’t expect you to be,” Phoenix said. “Everyone’s nervous before a trial, right? We’ll just have to rip off the band-aid and get inside.”

“Yep! Rip it off,” Maya agreed, but her cheery tone rang hollow to Phoenix’s ears. She was genuinely worried about this trial, and that genuinely worried him, too. Maya never fretted over this stuff. She always trusted Phoenix to bring the truth out no matter what, but this time… Maybe the Engarde trial had shaken her, or maybe this case really was as much of a quagmire as he feared it might be. Either way it was concerning, but he had to play the hand he was dealt now.

The bailiff took Yuuri away, and Phoenix strode into the court chambers with a confidence he didn’t actually hold.

 

* * *

 

 

**APRIL 12, 10:00 AM**

**DISTRICT COURT**

**COURTROOM No. 3**

The judge loomed over the courtroom: bald, grey-bearded, and regal in his dark robes. He slammed his gavel down with a _crack!_ that startled both the defense and the prosecution alike.

Phoenix would’ve been surprised to see Edgeworth jump like that, but his nerves were too high to notice the prosecutor’s reaction. He fixed his attention on the judge instead. _His head looks extra shiny today,_ he thought absently.

The judge’s deep voice broke Phoenix from his thoughts. “The trial of Yuuri Nikiforov is now in session,” he said. “Are the prosecution and the defense prepared?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Edgeworth said with a bow and a flourish of his hand. “The prosecution _is_ prepared, though it has its doubts about the defense.”

Phoenix’s face fell. He could never catch a break with Edgeworth, no matter how supposedly close they’d become. _Seems like things are back to normal after Engarde_ , he thought. _I wonder—_

“Mr. Wright!” the judge barked, snapping Phoenix to attention. “Are you or are you not prepared?”

Phoenix blinked. “Prepared? Um… Of course, Your Honor.”

The judge nodded. “Very well.” He slammed his gavel again, then turned his eyes to Edgeworth, who was done up in his expensive red suit. “Prosecutor Edgeworth,” the judge said, “your opening statement, please.”

“Happily, Your Honor. I think you’ll find the facts of this case to be very clear indeed.” He paused to turn his attention to Phoenix, who was none too happy about receiving it. “So clear,” Edgeworth continued, “that the prosecution would like to offer the defense one final chance at avoiding humiliation.”

The judge frowned. “A plea bargain? That’s unusual coming from you. I’ve never seen you try for anything less than a perfect conviction.”

Edgeworth smirked. “And I would, if this case weren’t so trivial.”

Phoenix ground his teeth, and Maya balled up her fists by his side.

“Trivial?” the judge protested. “This is a multiple murder!”

“Indeed, but one with a painfully obvious conclusion. I’m well prepared to contribute decisive testimonies and evidence against Mr. Nikiforov, and if I do, I expect the trial to end before lunch. So considering there’s no sport in this ordeal, what do you say, Wright? I’m giving you one last way to keep your client from execution.”

Phoenix looked to Maya frantically. “This isn’t like him at all,” she hissed.

 _What do I do?_ Phoenix thought. _The evidence does seem stacked against us, but… I’d be condemning Yuuri to life in prison. No! I can’t put an innocent man behind bars. I can do this._

“We don’t accept,” Phoenix said.

“What was that?” Edgeworth asked, shaking his head. “It almost sounded like you said _we don’t accept_.”

“That’s because we don’t,” Phoenix replied. “My client has already pled not guilty.”

Edgeworth gave a little _hmph_. “How unfortunate. You’ve made a grave mistake.”

“Just get on with your statement, Edgeworth.”

“Of course.” Edgeworth bowed graciously before resuming. “Yuuri Nikiforov murdered Phichit Chulanont and Isabella Leroy,” he said. “As you will soon discover, those facts are inarguable. I have nothing to add that I won’t demonstrate in the next… oh, thirty minutes. Thirty _wasted_ minutes.” He waited a moment as if he expected Phoenix to say something, but the attorney stayed silent—though his thoughts were clearly evident in his expression. “Very well. The prosecution calls its first witness.”

The courtroom door opened, and the bailiff from the lobby ushered in a slight-framed teenager. Phoenix pegged him around eighteen or nineteen. A shock of blond hair fell across his eyes, and he brushed his bangs away as he settled into the witness chair.

 _This must be Yurio_ , Phoenix thought. _Now the fight begins._

“Witness,” Edgeworth said. “State your name and occupation for the record.”

Yurio glowered at him. “Why? Don’t you already know them?”

“Name and occupation!” Edgeworth ordered.

The surly teenager looked over to the judge. “What’s the point?” he asked him.

“It’s for the court’s records, young man. Please answer the question.”

Yurio shrugged and looked back ahead. “Okay. Yuri Plisetsky. Competitive figure skater. Anything else?”

“That’s enough,” Edgeworth said. “Now, please testify to the court about the morning of April tenth.”

“Isn’t that kind of a broad question?”

“No, it is not. Give us as much information as you can, starting at the beginning.”

“The beginning? Well, I guess so.” He crossed his arms loosely. “I woke up at 6:50 AM. At seven I went to Phichit’s room. His door was open, so I went in and found him there. Then I called the cops.”

He stopped there, apparently finished.

“That… Wasn’t very detailed,” the judge said.

Phoenix suddenly felt a little stronger. Yurio clearly wasn’t a very cooperative witness. If Edgeworth didn’t have him under his thumb yet, then he actually had a chance to blow holes in his testimony—what little there was of it.

“Maybe not,” Yurio said, “but it’s what happened.”

The judge stroked his beard. “Alright,” he said. “Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Phoenix said. _This is it,_ he thought, and felt fire rising inside him. He was in his element now. “Yurio… May I call you Yurio?”

“I fucking hate that name,” he grumbled.

“Young man!” the judge gasped. “I won’t have that kind of language in my courtroom!”

“If you say so,” Yurio said. “I hate it, but if you’re so confused by Yuri and Yuuri, call me whatever you want.”

Phoenix smirked a little. If ‘Yurio’ wasn’t a fan of the name, he definitely planned to use it to keep him off balance. “Yurio, you testified that you woke up at 6:50 AM. Are you sure of that? It’s oddly specific.”

Yurio squinted as if to say: _Is this guy serious?_ “I always wake up at 6:50, so yeah, I’m sure.”

“And you went to the victim’s room ten minutes later?”

“That’s what I said.”

“What did you do in the ten minutes between?”

“Not much.” He offered no further explanation.

“That’s not a good enough answer.”

He looked away. “That bit of time doesn’t have anything to do with anything. I stayed in my room.”

“Were you alone?” Phoenix asked.

He paused. “Who I was with doesn’t matter,” he said finally.

Phoenix shook his head. “No, it absolutely matters. _Were you alone_?”

Another pause, then: “No. I wasn’t.”

“Who were you with, then?”

“Otabek Altin,” he said.

“And what was this Otabek doing in your room?”

“We were sharing,” Yurio explained. “It’s a double room. Two beds. It’s cheaper that way.”

“Can Otabek vouch for your whereabouts between 6:50 and 7:00 AM?”

“Not really. He was in the bathroom when I woke up and didn’t get out until after I left.”

“Didn’t you tell him you were leaving?”

“What, though the door or something?” Yurio asked. “Nah. I saw the light on in there, so I just left.”

 _Hmm,_ Phoenix thought, _I think he’s telling the truth so far. But…_ “Did you go directly from your room to the victim’s room? And why did you go in the first place?”

“Hey, one question at a time,” Yurio said. “But yeah, I went straight there. About why I went… It’s not important.”

“Not important?” Phoenix slammed his hand on his desk. “I think the reason you went to a murder victim’s room and discovered his body is _very_ important.”

Yurio gritted his teeth. “Why does it matter? It’s not like I killed him.”

“No one is saying you did…” Phoenix replied, then added: “Not yet, at least.”

“Objection!” Edgeworth declared. “Your Honor, the defense is making wild accusations. I move to have that stricken from the record.”

“Sustained,” the judge said. “Mr. Wright, I won’t have you accusing this young man without evidence. Refrain from doing so again or I’ll have to penalize you.”

Phoenix gulped. “Sorry, Your Honor.” He looked back to Yurio. “Anyway,” he said, “I still insist you tell the court why you went to the victim’s room.”

“I…” Yurio trailed off, apparently choosing his words carefully. “Phichit wanted to tell me something. He told me to meet him there after I woke up.”

“When did he tell you this?”

“At the reception,” Yurio said. “He was drunk, so I didn’t really take him seriously, but I thought I should go anyway.”

“Roughly what time did he ask you?”

“Uhh… It was about an hour before I left, so maybe 10:30 PM.”

“Did he say what he wanted to tell you?”

“Sort of,” Yurio said. “But… It’s personal, and I _swear_ it has nothing to do with this case.”

“You do know you’re under oath?”

“I’m telling the truth. This time it really isn’t important to anything. It was just a personal thing, like I said.”

Phoenix stared at him in silence for a second, then turned to Maya. “Should I press him on this?” he asked in a low voice. “I don’t want to tick him _or_ the judge off.”

Maya frowned. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe it really is personal, and we can always double back to it later.”

Phoenix turned back to the witness stand. “Okay,” he said. “So you left for the victim’s room for a personal reason without telling Otabek, who was in the bathroom.”

“Right,” Yurio said.

“In your testimony you said the victim’s door was open. What did you mean by that?”

“It was… what’s the word… slightly open?”

“Ajar?”

Yurio snapped. “That’s it. It was ajar. I thought he left it open for me or something, so I went inside.”

“Did you knock?”

“No. I figured I didn’t need to. Anyway, I found him inside.”

“You mean his body?”

Yurio nodded, his expression turning grim. “Yeah, Phichit. He was on the floor.”

“What did you do when you found him?”

“I sprinted over. I thought he was unconscious at first, so I grabbed him and shook him to try to wake him up.”

Edgeworth cleared his throat from the other side of the room. “Your Honor, at this time I’d like to submit the witness’s fingerprints into evidence.”

“Fingerprints?” the judge asked in surprise.

“Yes. They were found on the victim’s shirt, and are consistent with his story.”

“How can you know for sure?” Phoenix asked forcefully.

“They were found on the chest area. Considering the corpse was lying on its back, that’s a very likely place to try and shake the victim awake, don’t you think?”

“Were the fingerprints bloody?” Phoenix asked.

“Yes,” Edgeworth said. “There was also residue from some kind of glycerin-based compound. We’re running further tests, but we don’t expect to find anything conclusive. In any case, the fact that the witness’s fingerprints were bloody is irrelevant.”

“ _Irrelevant_?” Phoenix was incredulous. “How can you say that?”

Edgeworth sneered and wagged his finger. “The prosecution would _also_ like to submit a certain glove into evidence.”

“A certain glove…?”

“Indeed. A certain blood-soaked glove… belonging to one Yuuri Nikiforov.”

The gallery erupted into shocked mumbles and whispers.

The judge banged his gavel. “Order! Order! I will have order! What is the meaning of this, Mr. Edgeworth?”

“The meaning, Your Honor, is that the defendant’s glove was found near the body, covered in blood. That’s quite something, don’t you think?”

“Objection!” Phoenix cried. “How could you be sure the glove belongs to my client?”

“Overruled!” the judge said. “Continue, Mr. Edgeworth.”

“It’s rather simple, really,” Edgeworth said. “His name is written on the tag inside. And not only that. We have sworn testimony that it is in fact his glove.”

“From who?”

“From me,” Yurio spoke up. “And another skater, too. We both knew it was his right away. It has a special design.”

Phoenix started to sweat. _This is bad_ , he thought.

“I know,” Maya said, apparently reading his thoughts from his expression. “It’s _really_ bad.”

_Okay. I need to get this under control. I’ll deflect from the glove for now._

“You said the residue was glycerine-based?” Phoenix asked. “Was there anything like that found at the scene of the crime?”

Edgeworth shook his head. “Please, Wright. Didn’t you learn anything in high school chemistry? Glycerine can be found in all manner of commonly used products. There’s nothing damning about that, and you can’t distract the court from the _very_ damning evidence I just introduced. There were no glycerine-based products found inside the glove.”

“These ‘glistening’ prints and bloody glove will be accepted into evidence,” the judge said.

“ _Glistening_?” Maya echoed. “Is this guy even listening?”

“Okay,” Phoenix said, refocusing his attention on Yurio. “Did you see the glove on the ground?”

“No,” he said. “I was too distracted by the dead body.”

“So… you shook him, and he didn’t wake up. Then what?”

“I was shocked. I stood up and backed away from him. I bumped into a desk or something and broke a vase. The noise kind of woke me up and made it feel more real. I called 911.”

“Did you use the hotel phone or your cell phone?”

“My cell.”

“I assume it was taken as evidence at some point to examine the call log…” Phoenix looked down to search through the evidence tab in the court record before finding its photo.

“So what?” Yurio asked. “It’s just a phone.”

Phoenix stared at the photo, trying to come up with some possible avenue to pursue next, but before long Maya poked his side. “Don’t you think there’s something funny about that picture?” she asked.

Phoenix studied it. “No,” he said. “I don’t see anything funny.”

“That’s my point,” she said.

The gears clicked in Phoenix’s mind. He jerked his head up to lock eyes with Yurio. “Witness! You’re sure this is the phone you used?”

“Yeah.”

“And you made the call immediately after finding the body?”

“Yep.”

Phoenix smirked. He’d finally found something to work with. “Would the prosecution mind repeating something for me?”

“What are you angling at, Wright?”

“Just moments ago you said there was something found on the prints. What was that, again?”

“A glycerine-based compound. Which has precisely nothing to do with the matter at hand.”

“No, not that. What _else_ was on the prints?”

“You can’t mean… _Gah_!” Edgeworth gasped.

Phoenix grew more and more smug by the second. “If the fingerprints were so bloody… Why is the witness’s phone perfectly clean?”

“It could’ve been wiped—“

“You can’t weasel your way out of this one, Edgeworth! Why would an innocent man wipe his phone perfectly clean?”

“I object to this line of questioning!”

“Overruled,” the judge said. “Still, Mr. Wright, I did tell you not to accuse this witness.”

“I’m not accusing him of anything,” Phoenix said. “I’m doing the opposite, actually.”

“What do you mean…?” the judge asked.

“I went to the scene of the crime,” Phoenix continued. “And I saw something interesting. There was blood on the carpet.”

“Well, yes, I would expect there to be blood at a murder scene,” the judge said.

“You don’t understand. There was a _lot_ of blood. May I direct your attention to the autopsy report? It states that the victim died from blood loss.”

“Wait!” Yurio cut in. “How much blood are you talking about?”

“The carpet was absolutely soaked,” Phoenix said. “It’d be pretty hard to touch the victim’s torso without getting blood on your hands. And then…”

“…that blood would’ve gotten on his phone,” Edgeworth finished.

“I didn’t see a lot of blood anywhere,” Yurio said. “What’s going on?”

“You say you didn’t see a _lot_ of blood? How much blood, then, would you say you saw?”

“I…” Yurio’s eyes shot wide open. “I didn’t see any!”

Phoenix thrust his finger out at Yuuri. “Repeat that for the court!”

“I didn’t see any blood! I didn’t know he was stabbed until they told me, but… he was dead! I’m sure of it!”

“Dead men can’t bleed out after the fact,” Phoenix said. “Edgeworth? I think I’ve found a contradiction in your perfect case.”

Edgeworth reeled back. “You’re not saying—“

“Oh, but I am,” Phoenix said. “The victim…” He threw out his finger again. “ _Wasn’t dead when the witness discovered him_!”

“Objection!” Edgeworth shouted. “This is lunacy!”

The judge banged his gavel hard. “Overruled! Oh my, this has taken quite the turn! You always find a way to make things interesting, Mr. Wright.”

“What do you mean he wasn’t dead?” Yurio asked desperately. “I would’ve known! He would’ve woken up when I shook him! He was dead!”

“Nope,” Phoenix said. “No blood, no murder.”

“If he wasn’t murdered, then how—“

“I didn’t say he wasn’t murdered,” Phoenix said, shaking his head. “I just said he wasn’t murdered _yet_.”

The gallery erupted into excited jabbering. The judge pounded his gavel and called for order over and over, but the onlookers wouldn’t quiet down. The participants of the trial were forced to wait out the noise. When it finally died down, the judge used his gavel one more time and said, “Mr. Edgeworth, what is your opinion on this?”

“My opinion?” Edgeworth’s voice was calm, but from his face it was clear he’d been punched in the gut. “My opinion is…”

“Yes?” the judge pressed.

“My opinion is… The defense’s argument is…” He sighed. “The defense’s argument warrants further consideration.”

“Well, I must say this is unexpected, but I’m afraid we can’t continue as things stand,” the judge said.

“One more thing, Your Honor.” Phoenix turned to Edgeworth. “What else was found at the scene of the crime?”

“What else?” Edgeworth asked. “What do you mean?”

“If the victim was unconscious…”

“…and incapable of being woken…” Edgeworth continued.

“…then something must have already happened to him.”

“And you think that something is what?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

“There was one thing near the body,” Edgeworth said. “It was… _Ah_!” he reeled back again.

“Well?” the judge asked. “What was it?”

“A bungee cord, your honor,” Edgeworth said.

“A _bon-jee-card_?” the judge asked.

Edgeworth shook his head in exasperation. “A bungee cord is a sort of stretchable rope. People use it to secure luggage, which is what we believed its purpose was in the victim’s room. Now, though, it seems—”

“It _seems_ your autopsy report is a little lacking,” Phoenix said. “Especially considering it says ‘preliminary’ right at the top.” He slammed on his desk. “When the witness found the victim, he wasn’t dead yet! He’d only been strangled unconscious with that bungee cord! He was killed after the witness left the scene! What do you have to say for yourself, Edgeworth?”

“We… We didn’t feel the need… With the glove, and…”

Phoenix grinned and started to gloat, but realized something before he could get too pleased with himself. Unease replaced his pride.

_This isn’t like Edgeworth at all. He’d never argue a case that wasn’t airtight, and this is hardly airtight. His evidence is just a glove? There’s something going on here, and I don’t like it._

“Mr. Edgeworth,” the judge said. “Frankly, I’m disappointed in you. You should have explored every aspect of this case. I’m calling for a recess. Court will reconvene tomorrow morning, and I expect you to at the very least conduct a detailed autopsy between now and then. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Edgeworth said, sounding defeated. “We’re clear. The prosecution will bring its next witness in the morning as well.”

The judge nodded, and banged his gavel. “Court is adjourned!”


End file.
